


Not Alone

by DruidX



Category: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Genre: Abusive Parents, Aftermath of Violence, Fantastic Racism, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:35:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26191282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DruidX/pseuds/DruidX
Summary: A series of drabbles loosely strung together with something resembling a plot. Featuring my disaster!HoK, Kellandrah Rhiannon Lorinda Rue.Set roughly in the same universe version as Avoiding the Emperor (a few divergencies), well into the Main Questline.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is 100% self-indulgence and will be updated as and when I get new random scene ideas.

The Hero of Kvatch wearily slipped from the back of her mount, legs almost giving out as they hit the flagged stones of Cloud Ruler Temple. The paint horse sniffed at her, nuzzling against her neck.   
"Go," she told it. "Your dinner's in there. I'll be fine." With a soft wicker, the horse turned and trotted into the temple's stables to find his dinner.  
"Good boy," the hero whispered. She staggered a little, resting for a moment against the stable wall. The artefact she'd been sent to retrieve burned in her pack, but there was little point in going before her Emperor exhausted and bloodied. She leant her head back and looked into the clear, starlit night. He would only fret. She worried him enough as it was. Coming before him with physical evidence of the trials she bore for him would be too much. She should be cold, but instead, she felt feverish. It wouldn't be a surprise if she'd caught something in the Colovian wilds. Wincing, she pulled herself away from the wall and walked towards the barracks entrance, the hematite night at her back.

With a quiet grumbled curse, she shouldered the barracks door open. No matter the time of day, someone was always sleeping, and she would hate to wake them. The hero shoved the door closed again and dumped her pack next to the small set of shelves. With a grunt, she loosened the straps of her cuirass, tugging out the metal where it had been forced inwards by that minotaur's goring.  _ Great, another thing to fix.  
_ "Ah, our hero returns." She looked up. Jauffre was standing in the barracks corridor with Baurus and another person, his back to her.  
_ Oh no _ . The Hero gave a brittle smile, but before she could say anything, Baurus was shooting her an apologetic look, and the one person she'd been trying to avoid turned around.  
"Rin! I am glad you have returned," Martin said, a smile on his face. "Tell me, what news-" His smile faded, creasing into a frown, and the Hero felt a thrill of panic rip through her.  
"Don't let me disturb you, gentlemen," she said, taking a step backwards.  
_ Oh no. No, no. He's going to-  
_ "Rin, you are bleeding..." the Emperor said, taking a step towards her.  
_ Think of something!  
_ "No I'm not."  
"Sister," Jauffre said, his tone mild, yet somehow conveying both worry and disappointment, "You are dripping on the floor."  
"Oh, this?" She touched at where a dribble of her blood trickled down her greeves. "This is... Its just paint."  
Jauffre raised a sceptical eyebrow.  
"Rin, let me-" Martin took a step forward, but the Hero skittered backwards, her eyes flying wide in panic, shaking her hands before her, as though to ward him off.  
"No, no. It's fine, I'm fine, I can- Shit!" She stumbled over her pack but kept her balance somehow. "I can fix it." She raised her hand to cast a spell. A few blue sparks appeared before the magic futzed out. She tried again, with the same result. There was a beat of silence, the group staring at each other.  
"Rhiannon I can-" Martin began again, taking another step forward.  
"No bother!" the woman said. "I have potions." She nearly fell in her haste to grab at her pack, flinging the thing open and pulling out a pink bottle. She chugged it, wiping her mouth with the back of a hand, and dropped the empty back in the pack. She straightened, a cheap smile plastered across her face. There was another beat of silence, and she began to glow. Her face fell. "Damn. Wrong bottle," she whispered. Before any of the men could react, she snagged her pack and ran back into the night.

Rin paced back to the stables, her head spinning and guts churning.  
_ Stupid, stupid... Paint! Really? _ By Julianos, she was an idiot. She slipped in the shadows of the stable, dropping her pack, rooting around for a healing potion. Close by the horses nickered softly at her arrival.  
"Hush, hush, lovelies," she said, making calming motions with her hands. "Hush, he'll hear you. Now, where is that damnable potion? Why do I have so many wretched poisons and not a single healing potion?"  
"Because, my hero, you are an efficient knight-assassin," Martin said softly from the doorway. Panic speared through her chest at his voice, and she stood, twisting to face him. "But even the Empire's most dutiful spy needs care from others at times. Please, let me help you." He took a step forward, his gestures and expression imploring.  
"Thank you for your kind words, my Emperor," she said, standing rigid, her tone wavering but otherwise impersonal. "But I am fine. I can manage."  
"Rhiannon, in what fantasy do you expect that line to work?"  
"Hope forever springs eternal, Sire," she mumbled, shuffling back a few steps.  
Martin continued forwards as if he hadn't heard her. "You clearly cannot manage. You are bleeding out on the stable floor, you haven't enough magika for a simple healing spell, and you cannot find a potion that will make you better. I promised you, I would always be here to offer comfort on your return. I promised you, you weren't alone any longer. So, please. Let me help you."  
"I can't," she whispered, letting out a whimper as her back struck the stone wall of the stable's farthest corner. "I am a servant of the Empire. I am your hero. I must be the bastion against which you rebuild the empire - strong, unrelenting, unceasing. You cannot think of me as a person. A human, with wants and needs and pains. Because if you do, soon you'll look at all your subjects like that, and that way madness lies." Her tone became pleading "So, please, leave. I can manage."  
"I have already accepted your humanity, my hero," Martin said, his voice still soft. "I can see you have weakness like any other. That weakness is currently causing you to bleed out for no good reason." Exasperation and desperation leached into his voice. "Would you prefer I order you to let me heal you?"   
"Kinda. Yeah," Rin said, her voice weak and wavering, betting on the idea that he'd never throw his status around like that. And she was right. He blanched, pausing in his advance. Then a lazy smirk graced his face instead, his limbs untensed and he sashayed towards her instead.  
"Or, my red-blooded hero, with your...  _ needs _ ," Martin said, stepping up close, his voice a sultry purr, "would you prefer that I used my masculine charms upon you instead?"  
Her eyes widened in surprise, her breath coming in little ragged pants. Martin caressed her face with one hand, a small part of him enjoying the dilation of her pupils, the way her pulse raced at his touch. He leant down towards her slack mouth, as his free hand squirmed under her cuirass and found the wound site.  
Rin gasped as a hot-cold flash lit up her injured side. The scent of mint hung heavy in the air.  
"You-" she get didn't any further, the words choking in her throat. Martin hastily stepped back.  
"I apologise, my knight," the Emperor said, fishing a handkerchief from a pocket to wipe his hand, "for touching you without your consent. However," he looked up with a hard expression, "I will never apologise for ensuring you are in the best of health, and for using whatever tricks I must, to do so." He looked up to see her hurt expression and flinched. His voice softened again, became pleading as he looked back at his hands. "I promised you, we were in this together. I will not be harmed from casting a simple spell." He frowned. "Though I should be interested to know who has put this foolish idea in your head that the weight of Nirn rests on your shoulders alone, and you must allow no other's assistance." He fell silent as the wind picked up and whistled around them.  
"Traven," she whispered. Martin looked up sharply.  
"Arch-Mage Hannibal Traven?" he asked, stunned.   
She stared past him, unseeing, her voice monotone. "Former Arch-Mage. He killed himself in front of me. Put his soul into a gem to protect me against the Worm King. Made me the new Arch-Mage in his dying breath." Her eyes flicked back to his, luminous and wide in the twilight glow from the potion. "Do you understand now? My mentor died, gave up his place in Aetherius, so I would be protected when facing Mannimarco. He sacrificed himself for me. It... hurt. Traven was like a father to me." She shook her head, voice tight. "I can't go through that again. I won't allow anyone to sacrifice themselves for me ever again."  
Martin stared, his hands frozen, clutching the handkerchief. "I'm so sorry," he said eventually. "That must have been... I'm sorry." He shook his head. "I... I read about that... I thought the new Arch-Mage was someone named Kellandrah Lorinda?"  
"That's me," she said quietly, the strength back in her voice. "Kellandrah Rhiannon Lorinda-Rue." She gave a mocking, florid bow. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, my Emperor." Martin just stared, as she slipped down the wall, a sudden wave of exhaustion passing over her.  
"And who else are you?" he asked softly, only the barest hint of tone betraying the hurt he felt. He knelt as well, keeping himself in her eye line.  
"Let's see..." She leant her head back against the wall, watching the stars through a thin sliver of window. "To the Fighters, I am Guildmaster Kel Lorin. To the Thieves I am... K'Rin. To the people of Bruma, I am Alchemist Rue. To the Arena spectators, I am the Black Arrow. To most everyone else I am simply Rin L'Rue."  
"Then it is my pleasure to finally know the true name of my most adept subject." When Rin looked up, he was giving her a soft, genuine smile.  
"Do you understand now, though?" she pressed. "Why I won't let you help me?"  
Martin nodded slowly. "Yes, I understand it. But I do not like it, and I will not pretend to be swayed by it. If you come back here hurt again, I will heal you. Whether you like it or not, this I vow as a priest of Akatosh."  
A chuckle slipped from the lips of the hero. "Only you could make healing sound like a threat," she said. "But I will fight you on this, Martin Septim. An Emperor is served by his people, not the other way around."  
"Ah, and there I was thinking that it was the Emperor's job to do nothing but." He spoke lightly, but when Rin tilted her head to look at him, his expression was stern, lordly, commanding. "To rule, to lead. To pass judgment when others cannot. What is that, if not serving my people?"  
"Alright, maybe so. But those are lofty services. No one is asking you to go into the streets and feed every beggar you see. No one is asking you to heal a misbegotten faithless tramp who happens to be passable at shooting an arrow. These are lowly services, ones that could be dealt with by another."  
"And if we were in the White-Gold Tower, then maybe it would be. But right now, up here, we are on our own. Perhaps some of the Blades know a simple spell to heal themselves or minor wortcraft. But no one else here has the skill to bring you back from the edge of death." He paused a moment. "And do not ever refer to yourself in such crass language again. I will not suffer for any to denigrate my Hero. Not even herself."  
Her head lolled back, and she chuckled again. "Yes, my Emperor."  
Martin stood, brushing down his robes. "Now come," he said, offering her a hand up. "It is late, you need decent rest, and you will not find it here." She looked at his hand for a moment, then back to his face. He rolled his eyes and gave a tired sigh. "As your Emperor I command it." She grinned, sleepy and lopsided, gripping his arm to stand with Martin's help and the nosing of her mount.


	2. Chapter 2

The fabled knight's balance failed her as she rose, and she fell heavily onto Martin. The Emperor staggered under her weight.  
"Baurus!" he called. "A little help, my friend. Our hero is heavier than she looks." The redguard Blade appeared in the stable doorway and hastened over.  
"That'll be the armour, Sire," Baurus jested as he took her weight from the Emperor.  
"Baurus," Rin said, aghast at his presence. "How much did you hear?"  
"Be easy, little Sister. Not much," he said, as they left the stables. "Though when you see Modryn Oreyn next, tell him I said hello."  
Her wave of shock spent, Rin relaxed into her Brother Blade. "Of course." The little group made it to the end of the stables before the hero's legs gave way. Baurus swept her into his arms.  
"I can walk," she protested.   
"You've proven that to be a lie, little Sister. Let me take the strain from you for a moment," he said. He looked down to see her eyelids fluttering as she tried to stay awake.  
"You're very warm," the Blade said with a frown. "Perhaps I should suggest you stay here for a few days-"  
"No!" Rin's terrified yelp was enough to startle Baurus into almost dropping her.  
"Don't send me away," she whispered into his shoulder. Martin turned back from where he had taken the lead.  
"Is everything alright?" he asked.  
"Everything's peachy," Baurus told him. "My fellow Blade and I need to have a moment of conversation though. Sire, would you mind just stepping into the barracks, so I know you're safe?"  
Martin gave his guardian a long look, then nodded. "Of course," he said, and slid inside. Baurus crouched down, huddled in the lee of the wall.  
"Martin isn't going to send you away for taking a few rest days," the redguard said patiently.  
"Not Martin. Jauffre," she said, trembling in his arms. "He doesn't like me. He'll send me away if I'm not useful."  
Baurus stared at Rin for a long moment, before sighing. "Look. You're exhausted, and not thinking straight. I get that. But Grandmaster Jauffre isn't a monster. He's not going to dismiss you from the Blades just because you're tired. Besides, he knows how much we need you. How much the Emperor needs you."  
Baurus felt the way she hooked her fingers into the spaces in his armour, clutching against him.  
"Don't say anything," she rasped. "Please Brother. One night. That's all I need. I'll be good as new tomorrow. I promise. Just don't tell Jauffre."  
Baurus gave a gusty sigh, his head hanging over his Sister Blade. The woman he most likely owed his life to, both in watching his back on the fateful night Emperor Uriel fell, and in the sewers against the Mythic Dawn cultist.  
"Alright. I won't say anything to Jauffre," he said finally. Her fingers relaxed against his armour, and he hoisted her back up, turning to where Martin stood, cloaked in shadows.  
"What news, Sire?" the guardian asked. Martin took the invitation, and stepped forward, worry creasing his brow.   
"There are no free beds in the barracks but yours," he said to Baurus.  
"She's welcome to it," Baurus said.  
"No, my guardian. You need to rest as well," Martin replied, placing a hand on Baurus's arm.  
"'S fine," Rin mumbled from within Baurus' arms. "I'll sleep in the hall. 'S good enough."  
"You shall do nothing of the sort," Martin said fondly, because of course that would be her solution. Both men look at each other for a long moment.  
"Blade," Martin said, his tone commanding. "This woman is still in need of healing. I should like to apply it in warmth and privacy. Please take her to my quarters."  
"Of course, my Emperor," Baurus replied, as meek as any loyal servant if it were not for the way his grin shone in the dark. "I'll take her straight there, then retrieve water and supplies for you."  
Martin nodded, starting away.

They made their way through the quiet of the Temple, arriving unhindered at the palatial chambers. Baurus placed the Hero delicately into a chair.  
"Sire, may I have a word with you outside for a moment?" the guardian asked. Martin stood from where he was rummaging in a drawer for something.  
"Of course."  
The two men exited the room, sliding the door closed behind them.  
"What's on your mind?" Martin asked.  
"Sire, forgive my bluntness, but our hero is exhausted. I think she may have caught an illness as well. Regardless, she cannot be sent out on missions in this state. I would like to request you entreat Grandmaster Jauffre to have her stay here for a few days to rest."  
Martin raised an eyebrow. "While I do not disagree with your assertion, Baurus – she is indeed in dire need of rest – I do not understand your reluctance to raise this yourself."  
Baurus sighed. "Rin seems to be under the impression that Jauffre will dismiss her if he learns of her weakened state. I would like to think she's wrong, but..." The redguard gave a useless shrug.  
"But it will carry more weight coming from me, and I can counter any thoughts Jauffre has of dismissal. Yes, I understand. Thank you, my friend. I will speak to him tomorrow."  
"Thank you, Sire," Baurus said, relief relaxing the tense lines of his face. "I'll get those supplies now." He gave a quick bow and left.  
Martin ran a wearied hand over his face, before returning to his warm, bright room.

He found his dear hero bootless and shirtless, her armour in a small pile by the chair, where she seemed to have fallen asleep, head lolling forward, and hands clutched around a buckle, possibly in the act of removing her greaves. Martin stepped close, brushing a trickle of hair from her temple, letting his hand rest on her forehead. She was indeed burning up. He hoped she had a _Cure Disease_ potion amongst her many vials.  
At his touch, Rin's eyelids flickered, and she looked at him with glassy eyes.  
"Yes, Sire?" she asked, her voice wane.  
"Nothing, my hero. Sleep a while longer yet."  
She murmured her assent, and her eyes flickered back closed. There was little point shifting her until Baurus returned, so Martin set about moving her armour to the side of the room, finding a curative in her wild array of potions, and finding some other item of clothing for her to wear, in the all-too-likely event she lived in her armour. Eventually, he found a set of green silks. They were clearly meant for a man, but he thought that they would do, her muscled form filling them out as needed. A quiet rap on the door brought his attention back to the present, and Martin opened the door for Baurus to enter with a platter of food, an ewer of water, and a bag of medical paraphernalia.  
"Thank you, Baurus," Martin said to the redguard as he entered and placed the items on the Emporer's desk, then walked back to the door.  
"No problem. Need anything else?" Baurus asked, looking over to where Rin slept sitting up.  
"No, I can take it from here," Martin said. "You need rest as well, my friend."  
"As do you, Sire." The Blade gave a small chuckle. "Listen to us: You sleep. No, you sleep." He shook his head. "Perhaps we should all sleep together." There was a beat of silence. Baurus looked up sharply, heat rising to his cheeks. "That... didn't come out right."  
Martin smiled, crinkles of laughter at the corner of his eyes. "I know what you meant," he assured the redguard. "Good night Baurus."  
"Good night, Sire."


	3. Chapter 3

Martin slid the door closed, and turned back to the room. He walked over and put a hand on Rin's bare shoulder.  
"Rin?"  
She slurred out an answer that could have been a 'yes?'.  
Martin closed his eyes briefly. She was asleep, and he loathed waking her, but she needed healing. "Rihannon, I need you to wake up for me, just for a bit. I need you to bathe and put on some night attire. You should not sleep in your greaves."  
With what seemed to be a monumental effort, she pulled herself upright, eyes still closed. "Do it onna road all'a time," she told him.  
"Aye, but tonight you get to sleep in a real bed." His tone became light, trying for humour. "And you are not wearing those things between my nice linen sheets."  
She took a moment to consider this, then nodded. "A'ight boss," she said, her voice slipping into an accent he'd never heard from her before. She gave a gusty sigh, and her eyes flickered open. "What'd'ya need me to do?"  
"Take your greaves off, and bathe."  
"Sure thing, boss," she said. She heaved herself upright, swaying slightly, and pulled at the buckles holding her greaves on. They fell in a crash of metal, and she stepped out. She scooped them up and looked around. Martin pointed to the pile.  
"Put them over there please," he said. As she did, he poured water into a washbasin, fragrancing it with lavender. He wished he had proper soap, but there was little he could do about that now. She came back alongside him, reaching for the washcloth. Martin risked a look at her. She stood confidently in only a bandeau and shorts, her ruddy skin turning almost bronze in the lamp-light. When he looked up she met his gaze for a moment, challenging him to say anything about her physique. He gave her a small smile in return, nodding and moved out of her way.   
"Drink the vial on the side as well, please. You have the start of a fever, and I found a potion amongst your things that should cure it."  
While her back was turned, he changed quickly into his nightclothes. For a long while, there was nothing but the soughing of the wind, the rustle of cloth, and the splash of water. The silence came to an abrupt end when Rin gasped in pain.  
"Talos preserve," she hissed. Martin turned to see her twisting to wash her back, pulling on her earlier injury. Clearly, she was still not quite whole if the muted whimpers she made were anything to go by.  
"Rin, let-" the imperial began but stopped, quashing that part of himself that wished to instantly help. He took a breath. "Rhiannon, may I assist you?" he asked instead. It was surely a testament to how exhausted she was that the hero didn't fight. She just nodded weakly and held out the washcloth.  
"Sit," Martin said, and Rin did so, sitting so that she hugged the back of the chair. In that instant, Martin felt as if he'd never been an Emperor, never seen the terrors of a burning Kvatch. Instead, he was again a simple priest, aiding an injured parishioner. He swept the cloth over her back in careful motions, plying a softer healing spell over those points she whimpered at, until the water in the bowl was dirty brown. Martin rose, intending to pour the water away, when the woman he was tending let out a whimper.  
"Wait," she whispered. "No. Don't go."  
"It's alright-" he said, turning back to look at her.  
"Martin, please!" Her voice, though still hushed, carried such pain with it, that he put the bowl down, and came around to face his hero. Her fingers latched into his clothes, and her face held such a pained expression. "Don't go." It was then he realised she was asleep and dreaming.   
"Rhiannon," he murmured, wiping away her tears with a thumb.  
"Don't do this, please. We can find another way. We can. Together!" She was having the dream again. He'd thought it had stopped. She certainly hadn't told him it had returned. There was such pain on her face, and he didn't know how to calm her. "Martin, you promised! You promised we'd do this together. Don't leave me!" She woke, eyes wide and terrified, her arm moving to gag the scream that ripped out of her.  
Unable to take the pain in her face any more, Martin gathered his hero to him.  
"Rhiannon," he stroked her hair. "Rhiannon, it was a nightmare. I'm right here. I'm right here." She gave three heartfelt sobs, the tremors travelling through her entire frame, before she quieted.  
"The Nine shall beg your forgiveness, Sire," she said into his chest, her voice thick with unshed sorrow. "And they shall beg mine for what they will do." For a moment Martin thought she was still dreaming, but Rin pulled away, deliberately looking him in the eye. The darkness and anger in her gaze was palpable, like looking into a thundercloud that towered crackling with unspent lighting, dark and filled with ominous ferocity. Rin closed her eyes, took a sharp inhalation, letting it out in a juddering sigh. When she opened her eyes again, all Martin found there was deep exhaustion. She extricated herself from him, her cheeks darkening.  
"Sorry, Sire. That won't happen again," she told him, rubbing her face.  
"Rhiannon," he said softly, "you know you can come to me with anything. I am still a priest of Akatosh."  
"Oh, if you're hoping for a confessional, Brother Martin, we'll be here all night." She gave him a wane smile.  
He tried to give her one back, filled with reassurances, but it felt wrong on his face.  
"Come," he said instead and pulled her, unresisting, to her feet. "I found you some bedclothes. You need to rest."  
Rin looked at the items in question and gave a quiet sigh. "Are you sure?" she asked, her eyes already going glassy. When Martin nodded, she sighed again, and took the items without complaint. Once again, Martin was surprised by the lack of fight. Not seeming to care if he saw or not, she turned her back and shucked her bandeau. Martin fought back a blush, and turned away, giving her some privacy.  
After a few moments, he heard the rasp of leather on glass.   
"There," she said, and he turned. The green silks hung easily on her figure, accenting rather than hiding the curve of strong arms, the roundness of her hips, glowing against her red skin. She held her sword, still sheathed, in one hand, the other resting on a hip. Some small part of him stirred with a possessive joy to see her in his clothes, richly attired as she ought. He tried to tamp that thought down. That was Sanguine's way, and he would not fall down that path again.  
"You look stunning," he said.   
"They're bedclothes," she replied, rolling her eyes as she moved past him. "And I'm going to bed. What more of me do you want?"  
Martin shook his head. "I don't understand? I want nothing more than for you to rest."  
"And I'm going to. You don't need to turn on the charm every time you want me to do something. I would walk to the ends of Nirn for you, my Emperor, without you fluttering your pretty eyes."  
He frowned. Couldn't she tell this difference between seduction for distraction's sake, and an honest compliment? Then – she thought he had pretty eyes?  
"What are you doing?" he asked, realising that she'd sat on the floor just inside the door. She leant back against the wall, her sword across her legs.  
"Resting," Rin said. "As your Majesty instructed." When he didn't reply she opened her eyes and looked at him. "You surely didn't mean for me to turn you from your own bed?"  
"I-" Martin cleared his throat. "I meant for us to share. You could fit three on that bed, if you top-and-tailed."  
Her eyes grew wide, and she let out a snort, swiftly covering her mouth with both hands.  
"Sorry, sorry," she said, muffled behind them. Martin rolled his eyes, and climbed into the side furthest from the door. "Come," he said, patting the empty side. He could see the longing in her gaze, watched her muscles tense as she held herself ridged against her desires, could almost read the thoughts on her face: _He's my Emperor. It isn't chivalrous. Not what a Knight would do._   
"Rhiannon, I will use my wiles to get you into this bed if I have to," he said, in a mock-serious tone.  
She stood up as though she'd been bitten. "Don't do that," she told him, covering the distance with a few long strides. "Just ask, like a normal person." She stopped at the bedside, dropping her gaze. "I worry about you, my Emperor. Between using Sanguine's art on me and the daedric book... If you want me, just ask."  
Martin was glad her gaze was averted. He was stunned by the admission, sure it showed on his face. She was an attractive woman, and he did enjoy distracting her when it kept her safe. But he would never use his position like that. Ever. Though her tone was sad, not reluctant. He wondered what it meant, but that was a thought for another time. He took a breath.  
"What I want, Rhiannon," he said, lying down and facing away, "is to go to sleep. And I want you to also go to sleep. I would prefer you to take advantage of a real bed for once, but I understand if you prefer it over by the door." He lay still, slowly counting his heartbeats as he waited. Glass chinked lightly against the side table. The bed dipped under her weight and the covers shifted. The lone lantern was blown out, bringing a soft darkness over them.  
"Just this once," she whispered. "Can't go getting soft." She let out a deep, comforted, sigh. "Good night, my Emperor."  
"Good night, my hero."

_The scent of blood was in her nose, carried on a caressing zephyr. Bracers sat heavily on her arms, sapping her strength. A voice whispered unintelligible daedric, the words surrounding her though there were no lips to speak them. The miasma of danger permeated everything, belying the perfect summer's day she saw. A red door appeared in front of her. She grasped the handle, pulling with everything she had. A foetid wind washed over her, the ruddy vortex pulling her in–  
_ Rin woke, instantly pushing her fist into her mouth to silence the terrified cries that flew from her. It was Cameron's Paradise she saw in her dreams. She was sure of it now. Ever since she'd held the Xarxes, the bastard altmer had been trying to worm his way into her thoughts. She scrubbed at the tears on her face. Gods knew what it was doing to her Emperor, thought she knew he had more mental fortitude than she and could counter it's infernal influence.  
Behind her, Martin shifted. She tensed. She should not have gotten into his bed, no matter how comfy and warm and delightful it was. She should leave. The benches in the hall were fine. Not as soft and yielding, nor with their own covers, but fine. Martin rolled over, and she stiffened. Her tired mind wondered if he could sense her thoughts. Her Emperor made a soft noise, an inquiring whine, maybe.   
"It's fine, go back to sleep," she whispered. He made another soft noise, somehow sounding like he disagreed, and reached out. His hand found her shoulder, and he traced a line down to find her spine. His fingers moved, applying a light pressure from the middle of her back, down the spine, and under her shoulder blade. At first, she still held herself stiff and still under his hand, but as he repeated the action her body untensed. _How is that so relaxing?_ her tired mind wondered. _How can he-_ She never completed the thought, sleep overcoming her instead.


	4. Chapter 4

Rin woke the next morning to an empty bed, the sun high in the sky. For a while she just lay, savouring the warmth and comfort to be found by sleeping in a real bed. Her limbs felt leaden, unable to move, even though guilt at laying in stirred in her gut. Her thoughts drifted: Martin's hands upon her back, soothing her pain. Baurus' tenderness as he carried her, worrying for her health. Grandmaster Jauffre, concerned about her sullying his floor. Panic seized her. Jauffre! Lying a-bed wasn't going to give a very good impression if she wanted to keep her place in the Blades. She hurled herself out of bed, pausing to neaten the covers to give herself a moment of thought. Her armour was a mess, and she had nothing else to wear but the silks she'd slept in. She supposed if the Grandmaster was going to dismiss her anyway, it likely didn't matter what she wore. And she should go to him sooner rather than later. Rin hurriedly donned her undergarments, and took up her sword, buckling it to her waist as she left the Emperor's suit.  
"Good morning marm," Steffan greeted her. "Sleep well?" The question was delivered with a straight face, but the Hero could hear the hint of something in his tone. Probably mockery, for having been carried to their Emperor's rooms, and for staying the night. She gave him a curt nod.  
"Yes thank you, Captain," she said, chin jutted in silent challenge. "Might you know where the Grandmaster is to be found?"  
"I believe he was taking a tour of the walls."  
Rin nodded. "Thank you Captain," she said, stiff and formal. She still didn't know how she fitted into the hierarchy of the Blades, but they all treated her with deference, so she would treat them as an Arch-Mage and Guildmaster should. She turned to go, when Steffan cleared his throat.  
"Marm?"  
"Yes?" She couldn't read his expression, so she gave him her most Guildmaster-ly look. He seemed to think better of whatever he was about to say.  
"I hope your discussion with Grandmaster Jauffre goes well," the Captain said finally. She inclined her head in thanks and walked away, bare feet padding on the stone corridor.

She found him on the parapets at the front of Cloud Ruler Temple, hands clasped behind his back, looking out over Bruma, and towards the White-Gold tower, hazy in the distance. He still wore his monk robes, still kept his tonsure shaved. Weariness had etched the lines of his face deeper.  
With a sigh, the hero approached the elder Blade.  
"Grandmaster," she greeted him, dropping to one knee at his side. He shifted to look down at her, a fatherly smile on his face.  
"Rhiannon. A beautiful morning, is it not?"   
"Aye, Grandmaster. I apologise; I have missed most of it."  
"Hmm. Come, come child, stand." Rin rose to her feet, and the Grandmaster took a moment to appreciate just how much out of legend their dear hero looked in the borrowed green silks that glowed against her dark skin, barefoot and ignoring the cold that prickled up her bare arms. The green sword at her hip merely added to her appearance as something from a bard's tale. He gave her a warm smile. "I trust you have spoken to Martin and Baurus this morning?" Jaufree asked.   
"No, Grandmaster. I've only just risen," she said. "I came straight to you. I wished to apologise for- For last night." Rin swallowed, fixing her gaze on the stone rail behind the Grandmaster, missing the flicker of bewilderment on the old Master's face.  
"I see," Jauffre said. "Well, it is good you are here. I wished to speak with you also, and it is those events that I wish to discuss. Our Emperor has expressed concerns about your activities of late, and I share his sentiments. I'm giving you a leave of absence, effective immediately-"  
Blood rushed in Rin's ears, drowning out whatever else he was saying.   
"No," she breathed. Rin swallowed, her wide-eyed gaze flicking to Jauffre's face. "No, Grandmaster, please. I know I've been lax in my duties to the Empire thus far, and I have a lot of time to make up for, but please don't-" She swallowed her rambling at the perplexed expression the Jauffre held.  
"Now now, my dear," he said. "You had to know this was coming. You have been tearing thither and yon across all of Cyrodiil. It couldn't continue." He looked away for a moment. "Of course, I'd rather you stayed here, where we can keep an eye on you, but you are no prisoner. You may leave if you wish."  
"Yes, Grandmaster," she said, throat tight. "I... I would rather leave if it's all the same. By fire and iron, please trust I will not betray the secrets we have here. I'll be packed and gone within the hour." She paused. "It... it has been an honour to serve with you, Brother Blade," she said in a rush, and turned to go.  
"Ah, Rhiannon?" Jauffre called her back, his perplexed expression deepened to outright confusion.  
"Yes?" she asked. She wished he would just let her go. It would do her pride no good to shed tears now.  
"Do you know what 'leave of absence' means?"  
She ducked her head. "Of course. It means you're dismissing me."  
The confused expression melted into one of understanding, and he closed his eyes before passing a hand over his face.  
"Oh, Rhiannon, no. Sweet Dibella..." Jaufree looked at Kvatch's hero and sighed. "You are not being dismissed. You are being given a holiday."   
"...Sir?"  
Jauffre blinked at her. "You know what a holiday is, surely?"  
The confusion on the hero's face deepened, drawing another sigh from Jauffre. The woman was a skilled warrior, an expert in the art of alchemy, and to all intents a smart girl. How, by the Nine, did she not know what a holiday was?  
"It's, ah, a feast day to one of the Nine?" she offered. "A day of contemplation and devotion?"  
 _Mother Mara,_ Jauffre thought, _who raised this child?  
_ "While not entirely incorrect, a holiday could also be considered a temporary suspension of one's duties following a trauma, an injury, a prolonged period of stressful activity... Or in your case, all three. You're getting a week off to relax and recuperate."  
"What am I supposed to do with this time off?" Rin asked. The poor girl looked positively lost by the suggestion.   
"Anything you like, that is not considered work. You could read a book, sleep 'til noon. Don't you have any hobbies?"  
Rin gave him a blank look. "I... I suppose I could go to my tower and practice my alchemy? Or to the arena for a match? I expect there's paperwork to deal with at the University, and there are some caves around here I've been meaning to clear out of bandits..."  
Jaufree pinched the bridge of his nose, and took a steadying breath. "Have you eaten, my dear?" he asked, a forced lightness to his tone.  
"No sir, I came straight here."  
"Why don't we find you something to eat, and we shall educate you on the finer points of taking a holiday."


	5. Chapter 5

"You mean you've never had time off, ever?" Baurus asked, looking at her as if she was jesting. Rin shook her head, eyes lowered to the ham and tomato hash in her bowl.  
"Well, whatta d'you do for fun?" the redguard pressed. The knight gave a shrug, as she pushed her breakfast around in the bowl.  
"Archery practice?" she said. "Oh, and alchemy. I make curatives for the beggars I come across. The Grey Fox tells us that beggars are under their protection. Most assume that means 'don't kill them'..." She gave another shrug. "Medicine is expensive; plants are cheap."  
Baurus just stared. "Rin, both of those things are still work." He shook his head. "Wow. Jauffre wasn't kidding when he said you had no idea..."  
"I think it's quite admirable," Martin said from the other end of their table, not looking up from his book. 

The two men had already eaten, but were tidying the mess hall when Jauffre had brought their Blade sister in. For added impact, the Grandmaster had announced that Martin and Baurus were to have the same amount of time off. In the same breath, he admitted he doubted that Baurus would relax his guard, but that he was assigning another Blade to watch over all three. Both men instantly complained, of course, but Jauffre had merely looked at the Hero of Kvatch, his eyebrow raised. She took her cue and told them in no uncertain terms that if she was barred from any form of world-saving for a week, then so were they. Satisfied, the Grandmaster told them to figure out their plans and left the trio to their breakfast.

"Of course you would, Sire." Baurus rolled his eyes at the Emperor's remark.   
"Thank you, Sire," Rin said. "And Baurus, I _do_ find alchemy relaxing. It's like blade-work or sewing. Your hands find the rhythm, you do things without having to think too hard, and you focus only on what's in front of you." She frowned down at her food. "And Grandmaster Jauffre told me I wasn't allowed to clear out bandit caves – something else I find enjoyable."  
Baurus snorted. Martin gave his hero a raised eyebrow over the top of his book.  
"Yeah, that was a good call on his part," Baurus said. "Well, what about drink? Or skooma?"  
Martin grumbled something from the end of the table.  
"I try to avoid it if I can," Rin said. "Every time I think about having a drink, I get reminded of the time my Father hit me with a switch so hard I was sore for a week, even after his restoration spells." She gave a mirthless chuckle, and dug into her breakfast, oblivious to the heavy silence that filled the room.  
"Rin?"  
"Mm?" She looked up to see Baurus giving her a shocked stare. Martin had put his book aside and was instead looking at her intently. She looked between them, spoon raised halfway to her lips. "What?"  
"Who is your Father?" Martin asked. Rin lowered the spoon, instantly tense.  
"He's dead. It doesn't matter."  
"You don't talk about your past much," Baurus said, his tone carefully neutral. "So we don't know that much about you. Would you mind enlightening us? Who was your Father."  
Rin looked between the two again, and carefully placed her hands on the tabletop. Her magic wasn't strong, but Destruction magic was linked to rage, and she'd rather burn a table than the last of the Septim line.  
"It doesn't matter," she said carefully, enunciating her words. "He is dead."  
"Please," Martin said, his voice that same soft sweetness he used when he was worried. "Indulge me?"  
Under her fingers, the wooden table began to charr, but Rin took a long measured breath, and the wood stopped glowing. "He was an altmer priest at the Chapel of Mara in Bravil. He wanted me to join the County guards. Every second I wasn't doing chores or at Chapel, I was training for warfare. And I did those three things constantly. Holy days only meant different clothes and twice as long at Chapel."  
"And what did you want?" Baurus asked, his voice soft.  
"I wanted to be an alchemist. I helped the chapel's healers when I thought he wouldn't notice my absence."  
"So, are you half mer?"  
"No. I'm adopted. A foundling. My Father was gracious enough to open his home to me."  
Baurus raised an eyebrow at that but continued his questions in the easy neutral tone. "And what did he do if he 'noticed your absence' while you were learning alchemy?"  
Rin didn't say anything, but to Baurus her tight-pressed lips, clenched jaw and increased breathing spoke volumes. And that was even without the fact that the table began to burn again.  
"Let me guess," Baurus said. "He told you that you could take it, even as you begged that it hurt. That red skin was thicker than white?"  
"He's dead," the hero repeated, as though the mantra would wipe away the truth.  
"How did he die?"  
Rin sucked in another breath, and the tabletop gently smoked as she withdrew her fire.   
"I'm told the Gods struck him down," she said, her eyes never leaving Baurus'. "It happened the same day I arrived at Kvatch. He was walking past the Lucky Lady statue as I was spat out of the Oblivion gate. He fell, clutching at his chest. As I rushed in to tell Martin he was Emperor, my Father was rushed to the Chapel. When Martin agreed to come with me, my Father prayed to Mara. But no divine light graced him and instead he died on Her altar."  
"And how did you come to be in the Imperial Prison?"  
Rin lifted her fingers from the smoking table, flexing the joints before resuming their place in the charred groves she'd made.  
"Father and I fought about my alchemy. He told me it wasn't real magic. It wasn't mer magic." She lifted her chin in silent challenge to the past, never breaking eye contact. "I wasn't clever enough." The table began to singe again. "The University would never accept me. I told him it was, and that I didn't want to go to University. I would stay in Bravil. Study at the Mages Guild chapter house. Marz had already told me she'd talk to Ardaline for me. He-" Flames licked around her fingers. "He struck me. Told me I was an ungrateful child. That I would become a plaything of the daedra for going behind his back. That the Gods would forsake me. That Mara wouldn't love me. He walked off to get the switch while I was battered to the ground. Then, the strangest thing..." The flames died down. "The door opened. It wasn't the wind. I'd seen him lock it the moment I came home. So I ran. I ran through town, and out the gates. I ran along the road until night fell and I was so hungry I thought I might faint. An Imperial Road Guard was dealing with a wolf attack, and his horse was right there. I wasn't careful, I wasn't cautious. I was riffling in his saddlebags for food when he caught me. Of course, I had no coin, I couldn't pay the fine, so he said he was going to take me back to Bravil's jail. I begged him not to. He took a hard look at me and agreed. So he fed me and brought me to the Imperial prison, citing that as I'd been thieving on the Imperial roads, I should be in the Imperial prison. Then... the rest you know." The wood gently smouldered and smoked as she fell quiet.  
"What d'you think would have happened, had you stayed?" Baurus asked  
Rin gave a bitter laugh. "Probably be in a casket. He would'nt've let me join the County guard. I see now he would never have let me out from under his thumb like that. At best, he would have sold me to an adequate husband, one who didn't beat me too much, and I would have had adequate children, on an adequate farm. An adequate little nondescript life." She paused and withdrew her hands from the scorched table. "There. My sad little backstory's done."  
Without a word, Martin rose and left the table, stalking back into the great hall, fists clenched at his sides. Baurus looked up, watching the Emperor go. He flicked his gaze to Rin.   
Her eyes flickered closed briefly, as she pulled in a breath. "It's fine. Go." She jerked her head at Martin's departing back.  
Baurus stood, then hesitantly reached over to give her shoulder a brotherly squeeze.  
"Thank you for telling us," he said, then went after their Emperor.

Rin looked down at the damage she'd done to the table, shoulders falling as the tension drained out of her. Careful and cautious in all things, until she slipped up. Then everything always ended in tears. She wished they would hate her. Wished Martin had cursed her out, accused her of lying, _anything_ besides that silent fury directed at a dead mer who didn't matter. Now she had to bear their pity, which she didn't want at all. She sighed and rose, going into the cleaning supplies for a block of sandstone, then set to removing the crusted charcoal she'd caused.

Martin stopped at the set of tables he'd claimed as his own in the great hall. He leant over, knuckles pressed white against the tabletop. He seethed with anger. Not just that someone could do and say such terrible things, not just that it had happened to his beloved champion, but that it had been done by a priest. And one of Mara, no less! How a divine comprised of love and compassion could have such a twisted servant, he knew not. But he was glad She had struck the mer down, that She had realised what a corrupted soul lay in her priest's breast, that She had realised he kept a hero from her destined duties.   
"Sire?" Baurus called from the doorway.  
"I'm here," Martin ground out.   
Baurus walked over, and leant against the table, his arms crossed.  
"So. Do we need to talk about this?" the Blade asked.  
"How are you so calm?" Martin snapped.  
"Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm livid. How a priest of Mara could act that way...?" The redguard shook his head. "But both of us being angry isn't gonna help anything." Baurus looked down at his arms for a moment, then back at his Emperor. "Sire, look. What happened to Rin was horrible. But the mer who did it is dead. He got his divine comeuppance, and our girl has made her peace with what happened. You know, we goaded her into telling us, and she did."  
"Do you think I don't know that? I am deeply ashamed of my words."  
"Right. But she still told us. That shows a great deal of trust. She coulda just walked out. I don't know if you noticed, sire, but it is nigh on impossible to get that girl to do anything she does not wanna do."  
"I had noticed that, yes," Martin said, feeling his anger start to dissipate.  
"Well then. She's trusted us with her story. I don't know about you, but it feels that's not something she does lightly. So we need to respect that trust. You left rather hastily there, Sire. I know you're angry, but... If I were in her boots, I'd be questioning if my trust was misplaced. If I'd made a mistake sharing my tragic past with two people I thought could be trusted."  
Martin sighed, his righteous fury gone, leaving a hollow ache in his chest. He still leant against the desk, but his posture relaxed, and he spread his hands out instead.  
"What do you suggest?" he asked.  
Baurus was silent for a moment. "I'm still working on it," the Blade admitted. "But I think a good first step would be to go back and check we're still friends. Do you agree?"  
Martin stared at the tabletop, at the alchemical apparatus, books and parchments scattered across it. He'd not given it much thought until now, but they were friends, weren't they? It had come so naturally. He'd fretted about her long absence, worried every time she walked out of the Temple. She, in turn, had taken great pains to hide her injuries from him, tried to protect him from the worst realities of the Crisis, looked at him in worry when he read the Xarxies. A mutual admiration had grown between them. Trust, and care.  
Martin straightened. "Yes," he said. "Let us hope she is merciful, and we are still friends."

The two men walked back to the mess hall. As they passed through the adjoining door, Baurus held out a hand to halt the Emperor as voices filtered through to them. The two men padded forward to witness an argument between their newest Blade-Sister and another.  
"Jena, c'mon. Give it back," Rin whined at a dark-haired imperial woman, who held a block of sandstone out of the Hero's reach.  
"No," the older Blade. "The Grandmaster said you weren't to do any work."  
"But I made the mess! I should clean it up."  
"Mess? That's an understatement – the table is charcoal." The older Blade paused. "You were in here alone with the Emperor and Baurus, correct? Do I need to worry about why the table is charcoal, and how you look fit to burst into tears?"   
"Jena, please..." Rin made another grab for the sandstone block. "I just want to tidy up."  
The older warrior stepped forward, lowering her voice. "Blade-Sister, you know if either of them did anything to make you uncomfortable, the Grandmaster would discipline them?"  
"But the Emperor-"  
"It might not stick," Jena allowed, "but Grandmaster Jauffre would still try." She paused again. "Sister, you are part of a family now. You don't have to bear the weight of this Crisis on your own. Let us help where we can."  
"That's very... kind of you, Sister," Rin said. She ran a hand over her face, still clearly exhausted. "They asked about my past," she admitted after a moment.   
Jena glanced at the damaged table, then gave Rin a shrewd look. "Uh huh." The older Blade stepped back. "As long as that's all it was," she said. "Rin, I want you to know... I'm happy to talk if you ever need to. Everyone in the Temple knows what a terrible burden has been placed on you. If talking about it helps you, I'm happy to do so."  
Rin seemed to wilt then. "Thank you Jena," she said.  
The older blade nodded firmly, "Well if that's all, it seems like someone has come to offer their apologies." She glanced towards where Martin and Baurus stood in the doorway.  
Rin made to take the sandstone block back, but Jena pulled it away from her grasp. The older Blade walked away, placing it back with the cleaning supplies. "And leave the table alone!" she called. "Or I'll tell Jauffre you're disobeying orders!"  
"Jena!" Rin cried, scandalized. The older Blade grinned and exited the mess hall.

Rin was still picking at the burnt timber as Martin and Baurus approached, muttering to herself about the efficacy of a healing spell on the wood. Baurus gave a gentle cough, and her hand stilled, but she didn't look up.  
"Rhiannon-" Martin began, but she cut him off.  
"I know what you're going to say," Rin told them, "and I'd rather not hear it. Not from you two. So let's skip that part? Let's just move on to the part where I spend my week in literally any other corner of Cyrodiil, and you two don't have to deal with how sad for me you are. And then when I come back, because I _will_ come back, we'll save the world, and then we can go our separate ways, and my existence doesn't have to bother you anymore."   
"Oh Rhiannon," Martin said, and she suddenly found herself in his embrace. "No, no, no," the Emperor mumbled into her tensed shoulder. "I wanted to apologise for prying. I shouldn't have pushed, and I'm sorry." Rin looked over at Baurus, her eyes wide and beseeching, as though pleading for him to do something.   
Baurus shook his head. 'It's a thing,' he mouthed. 'Just go with it'. She gave him a despairing look.  
"Thank you," Martin said, still holding onto his hero. "Thank you for feeling safe enough to share your story with us."  
Slowly Rin untensed, and extended her arms to surround him as well.  
"I- Ah. You're welcome?" she said, looking over at Baurus. Her fellow redguard nodded.   
Martin pulled back, still clasping her shoulders. "I hope this hasn't soured your view of me. Of us," he added with a glance over at Baurus.  
Her eyes flew wide again. "What! No, how could I ever-? You've been so kind and-" She shook her head. "Nine curse me, but you really are just the cutest." Martin dropped his arms and stepped back and shared a nonplussed look with Baurus.  
"Excuse me?" he asked.  
"Yeah. Like a li'l puppy." Her accent changed, gained a hint of the Colovian Highlands. "I feel like I should be asking the Grandmaster if I can keep you." Rin threw back her head and laughed, deep, hearty, and maybe a little manic. When she looked back at them, there was a flicker in her eyes, as if they'd changed from one colour to another.  
"Not... what I was expecting," Baurus said, one hand on his hip.  
Rin wiped tears of mirth from her eyes. "Not what I was expecting either, if I'm honest," she said in her normal voice.  
"So we're not the first you've told?" Martin asked.   
Rin shook her head. "Sorry, but no. I've told a few others. They either asked me to stop talking, or didn't speak to me for weeks, if they got back in contact at all. I stopped bothering after a while." She looked away from them as she spoke, fingers idly picking at the char on the table again. Martin gently took her fidgeting fingers, trying to dust the soot from them.  
"Well, if you'll still have us, we'd be glad to remain on close speaking terms."  
Rin looked from his sincere blue eyes, to Baurus' serious brown ones. "Of course," she said, giving them both a shy smile. "What else am I going to do all this week if I can't talk to my fellow world-savers-on-hiatus?"


	6. Chapter 6

They spent a few moments longer discussing how they should proceed, with Rin admitting that she should probably fetch some items from Frostcrag Spire. But Martin wouldn't allow Rin to travel in just the borrowed green silks, so the trio were now in the armoury helping repair her armour. 

Both redguards had stripped to the waist as they worked the metal at the forge, while Martin assisted by darning holes in the white tabard with its red diamond.  
"This is fine armour," Baurus said, running his hand over the filigree of the boot he was repairing. "The workmanship is incredible, and it feels like it's enchanted... Where did you get it?"  
Rin paused in tapping out a small dent and pushed a sweat-damp strand of hair out of her face.  
"I'll tell you, as long as you promise to keep helping me fix it," she said, grinning. Martin paused in his sewing.  
"Oh? Are we not going to like the answer?" he asked.  
She laughed, light and airy. "Just promise," she said.  
"Alright," Baurus said, looking at Martin, "I guess we promise." Rin looked at the Emperor, and he nodded.  
Rin pressed her lips together in a puckish little smile. "It's the armour of the Divine Crusader," she said. 

Martin froze, then carefully smoothed out the fabric he'd been working in, his face reverent and awed.  
Baurus jerked back, knocking the boot, and fumbling in an attempt to not let it fall to the floor. He ended up hugging it to his chest, wide eyes aimed at Rin.  
"You don't want to know how I got each relic," she said, waving a hand and turning back to her work. "I'm afraid it might upset our Emperor."  
"Then, that would make you..."  
"Yes, Baurus. It does. I am."  
Martin let out an astonished laugh.  
"And when were you going to tell me that you were the Divine Crusader?" the imperial asked.  
"I don't know," Rin mumbled into her work with an embarrassed shrug. "Now, I guess? It didn't seem important..."  
"Not important-!" Martin shared an exasperated look with Baurus, the latter shaking his head.   
"You are full of surprises," the guardian said.   
"And by what name do they know you?" Martin asked, a tiny edge to his voice.  
Rin looked up at him. "You're never going to let that go, are you?" she asked.  
"I shall," the Emperor said, forcing lightness into his voice, "when I have heard every name by which my Hero is known."  
Baurus stopped hugging the boot he had been working on and placed it down. "You do seem to have a vast array to choose from," he pointed out.  
Rin quirked a smile. "True, true," she said. "Ah let me see. To the Knights of the Nine, I am Lord Crusader Lorinda Rue."  
"They know your full name?" Martin asked. Rin bit the inside of her mouth before answering. He sounded so sad that she'd hidden that part of herself from him. In truth, she hadn't meant to, but there had been little time for introductions in Kvatch and it had never come up since.  
"No, Sire," she said. "They believe my first name is Lorinda, and my sire's name is Rue. Only the Prophet knew my full name because nothing can be hidden from the Gods." She put down her hammer. "He called me from the crowd outside of the Chapel in Anvil. He knew my name before I'd ever spoken to him."   
Martin nodded. "Hrm, I see." He took a breath, tracing the red diamond with a finger. "Yes, I suppose that is the way of things. The gods perceive more than we could ever hope to, silently guiding our steps so we will be where we are most needed." He looked up, meeting her eyes. "It seems you are needed by everyone in Cyrodiil."  
"As are you, my Emperor," she said, holding his gaze for a long moment.  
A clang made them both blink, turning to see Baurus pause from where he'd struck the boot.  
"Oh I'm sorry," he said, flashing them a grin, "I thought I'd get back to work. You two hinds looked like you needed a minute."  
Martin blushed a deep crimson, as Rin turned towards her fellow redguard looking scandalized.  
"Baurus!" she cried, although she was grinning.

They settled down for a while, the gentle clang of hammer sounding on steel as Baurus finished repairing the boot, and Rin worked on removing a series of dents from a pauldron. Martin had finished darning the Crusader's tabard and sat reading quietly in a corner. Baurus picked up the mail cuirass, examining the blood-stained hole from the night before.  
"How did you even get a hole like this?" he asked, waggling his fingers through where the metal loops had been torn apart.  
Rin ran the back of a hand over her forehead. "Minotaur," she said, not bothering to look up and continued her work next to the forge.  
"A minotaur... Where were you that you encountered one of those?" Martin asked, glancing up from his book.  
Rin took the pauldron from the forge, applying her hammer to the dents again. "There's an Ayleid ruin at the junction of the Red and Silver roads, due north of the Imperial City," she said. Martin watched her hammer at the cooling metal, noting her annoyed expression.   
Before she could shove the armour back into the forge he asked, "So it was there you met the beast?"  
"Not exactly," she said. 

The hero laid down her tools and went to the water butt in the corner. She threw water over her face, rubbing the cold snowmelt over her neck and shoulders, before scooping out some to drink. Rin leant back against the far wall, holding the dripping cup for a moment, before taking a long drink.  
"I suppose you want a play-by-play?" she asked with a tired grin.  
"If you are still in the habit of indulging an old man with tales of the outside world?" Martin said, matching her smile.  
Rin took another long drink and refilled her cup. "I'm no bard," she warned, taking a sip.  
Martin gave an understanding nod. Baurus stopped as well, downing tools to lean against the east wall where he could watch both Emperor and Hero.

"Sercen is the name of this Ayleid ruin. It sits right next to the Red Ring Road, just where the Silver splits off to go north. Despite everyone's best efforts, this ruin is always crawling with Bandits because it makes a great base for highway robbers.   
"I was coming from the east having dealt with two Oblivion gates at once. The light was fading, I was tired, thinking too much of a warm meal and a good fire." She sighed. "I really should have known better than to carry on. Shoulda stopped at the Roxey Inn... Anyway. I got ambushed.   
"Two appeared ahead of me, and when I tried to turn two showed up behind me. So I jumped off Briar and ran up the hill to give myself some range. I got two of the four down before there's this bellow. I didn't... I didn't get my shield up in time. Got gored. Fortunately one of the bandits went after the minotaur, which took him out. I went after the last bandit, then finished off the minotaur." Rin shook her head. "Not one of my finer fights."  
Baurus chuckled. "Maybe not, but at least you managed to make it home."  
"Aye, I did that," Rin said, nodding.  
"There is the implication there," Martin said smiling, "that you have a list of your finest fights. Would you care to share? After all, I've never witnessed firsthand how you comport yourself in battle."  
Rin snorted. "Sure you have. You fought me yourself, remember? And I know you were watching when Baurus taught me to do that thing my wrist-"  
Martin waved a hand. "Those were just practices. I meant out in the field."

Baurus tapped his chin in thought. "Come to think of it the only times I've seen you fight was that thing in Luther Broad's wine cellar-"  
"Where you kept getting in my way as I was about to land a decent hit so it took twice as long as it should have."  
"-And the thing in the sewers getting the fourth Commentary."  
Rin pulled away from the wall with a huff of derision. "That was hardly a fight," she said.   
"I don't know. Felt like a fight to me," Baurus said, smirking.  
"That's because," Rin took another step forward, resting her hand on a supporting pillar, "you kept blocking my line of fire. If I coulda just got one good shot off-"  
Baurus pulled away from his wall and stepped forward. "I seem to recall that fellow was pretty intent on attacking me. What would you've had me do?" he asked, throwing his hands in a wide, sardonic gesture.  
"Oh, never head of 'strategic retreat' have we?" Rin asked, grinning. "One shot.  _ One _ shot. If you'd just got your ass outta there-"  
"And had me back down like a coward?" Baurus asked, drifting closer, laughter in his eyes.  
"Better a live coward than a dead hero!"  
"Because you're one to talk, Miss 'I ran into the plane of Oblivion because a nice priest asked me to'."  
Rin tapped Baurus' chest with her cup. "Better yet, Mr 'I'm a Blade I've been trained for spy missions', since it was going to be a fight from the get-go, you coulda just let me talk to him-"  
"But then you wouldn't have been watching my back."  
"I'm not saying it's not a nice back-"  
Behind them, Martin slammed his book closed, and stood in a rush.  
"I think I need some air," he said, exiting the room.  
Instantly the humour dropped from both redguard's faces, and they shared a look.  
"Should I go, or will you?" Rin asked.  
Baurus sighed. "I'll go. You finish up your armour."


	7. Chapter 7

"So, Fighters' Guildmaster, huh?" Baurus said as they came down the trail from Frostcrag Spire. The air was crisp and still, Gnoll Mountain enjoying a momentary respite from the usually constant snow flurries  
"Aye, with Oryn as my second."  
"How is the old coot?"  
She laughed. "Do you think it's possible for someone to love you to bits, but despise your existence? Because it feels like that's what he thinks of me."  
"Ah, yes. All harsh edges and dunmer insults until you really need him, and then he'll gladly lay it all out. Sounds like he's doing fine then." Baurus chuckled.  
"Yeah. I'm very grateful to him for minding the store, while I'm- Ahmhp!"

Out of nowhere, an arrow lodged into Rin's shoulder. Instantly both redguards were sliding from their mounts, drawing weapons.  
Rin slapped the flanks of both mounts, sending the horses careening down the trail. She turned aside, yanking the arrow out and casting it aside.  
"Rin, look out!" Baurus cried. She barely had a chance to move, before he was knocking her over, and crying out in pain.  
"Baurus!" She scrambled to her feet, as more arrows landed around them. Baurus cried out again, clutching at his leg. She skidded over to him, throwing up her shield to fend off another salvo. As the enemy was reloading, Rin dragged Baurus behind the cover of some boulders.  
"Stay down," she ordered, sheathing her sword and pulling out her bow instead.  
Baurus struggled to gain his feet, pulling at the boulder. "Rin, I can't let you-"  
"You don't get a choice," she snapped, as he slipped to the floor. "Stay. Down."  
"Rin, you need-"  
The hero growled, and crouched down, grabbing his face in her hands, letting him see her terrified expression. "You've been hit in the shoulder and thigh. Your reactions will be slowed. I cannot lose you. Do you understand? You will stay here, and I will  _ not _ lose you."  
Barely thinking, Baurus scooped a hand under her hair, leaning forward to deliver a kiss, fierce and hard.  
She pulled back, and he saw her stunned expression for only a moment before it faded back into all business.  
"I'll take that as a yes," she said.   
"Rhiannon-"  
"Careful and cautious in all things," she agreed, squeezing his good shoulder. 

The hero moved away, silver sparkles surrounding her and she vanished. Baurus craned his neck to see one of her arrows fly towards the rocks opposite as she became visible again. A returning salvo was fired. Baurus held his breath as she vanished again, the enemy arrows landing harmlessly in the dirt where she'd been. Once more she appeared, shooting from a different spot and vanished. He lost track of her then, until there came a series of agonized cries from the rocks. He counted his heartbeats, praying to the Nine that hadn't been her screaming. Then a figure came siding down the ridge, white and red tabard fluttering in the wind. Baurus breathed again.

"I thought you said this trail was safe?" he said, trying for levity as she rounded the boulder.  
" _ Fetching _ Mythic Dawn," she cursed, yanking the arrow from Baurus' thigh with no preamble. The redguard howled in pain, and she slammed a gauntleted hand over the wound, filling it with blue light.  
"Talos preserve," Baurus rasped. "You have a terrible bedside manner."  
"That's because I'm an assassin, not a healer," Rin countered, and yanked the arrow from his shoulder, again slapping a healing spell over the wound before the pain could begin to register.  
"Merciful Stendarr," Baurus said, his voice wavering and eyes squeezed shut. "Send me a better angel."  
"Sorry Baurus, I'm all He's got to hand right now. Do you feel dizzy at all? Faint? Constricted throat?" The Blade opened his eyes to see Rin watching him carefully. Her bleached hair fluttered in the rising wind, flakes of snow dancing behind her. Maybe Stendarr had sent him an angel after all.  
"Baurus?"  
He shook his head. "Rin, I just got shot, then had barbed arrows heads ripped out of my flesh. Of course I feel faint."  
"But your throat?" She touched at her own.  
"I can breathe just fine," Barus said, but she still didn't look comforted. Instead, she turned to rummage in her pack, pulling out a slim vial.   
"Drink this anyway, just in case," she said, handing it over. "It's a panacea. And you just..." She patted him on the knee, looking tired now the adrenalin had worn off. "Just take a breather, while I fetch our mounts. They can't have gone far." 

Before she could rise, Baurus grasped her wrist. "How about you take a breather too," he said, softly, and tugged on her arm. She came willingly, which surprised him, shuffling forward to flop down next to him. The wind died down again, and the sun came out from behind a cloud, bathing the view in precious golden light.  
"Wow. Would you look at that," he said in awe, looking at the shimmering, crystalline vista of the Jerrals.  
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she said. He looked over to see she wasn't staring at the view, but at him.  
"Rin..."  
"Baurus?" She was smiling, a little quirk at the edge of her lips.  
"You saved my life. Again."  
"You saved mine too. I think we're even."  
"Not by a longshot. But thank you."  
"You're welcome."  
They lapsed into silence, staring at each other for a long while before Rin's smile grew wider.  
"So... are we going to do anything, or just sit in this snowbank all day?" she asked.  
"What did you have in mind?" Baurus asked.  
"This," she said. She leant forward, gently pressing her lips to Baurus' in a languid kiss. He returned the kiss, a fire spreading warmth out to every limb before he recalled himself and drew back.  
"We... should get back," he said, turning his face away from her hurt look. "Before they send people to search for us."  
She stared at him, then dropped her gaze. "Right." She clambered to her feet. "I'll go find the horses."  
"Rin..."  
"No. I got the message," she said, her voice tight. "That's fine. My mistake. I'll go find the horses." With that, the hero of Kvatch vanished back around the boulder before Baurus could stop her. He leant his head back against the rock and gave a deep sigh.  
"Well, that could have gone better," he muttered. He stood slowly, testing his leg. Only residual muscle stiffness met him, and so he gathered his weapons and hobbled after her.


	8. Chapter 8

The door to the great hall slammed open. Martin looked up to see Rin stride in, Baurus limping in behind her. Both had drying blood on their armour. Martin rose to meet them, but before he could call out, Rin had dropped her pack, slamming her bow on a table and turned to a hapless blade eating his lunch.  
"Where is Grandmaster Jauffre?" she asked.  
"In his room marm," was the response. She strode off without further comment, slamming her way through the doors to the living quarters. Martin looked between his limping guardian and the confused Blade.  
"We were ambushed," Baurus said, leaning on a table. "Let me get a drink, and I'll tell you all about it..."

  
Rin strode through the corridors, causing a Blade coming the other way to fall back out of her path, and rapped smartly on the Grandmaster's door.  
"Come," came his voice from inside. Rin slid the door open and closed it behind her.  
"Grandmaster, I can't do this," she said. Jauffre looked up from the book he'd been reading.  
"Can't do what, my dear?"  
"Take a holiday." She spun on her heel, pacing in the tiny room. "There's too much at stake. I have to be out there, bringing down the Mythic Dawn, not coddled in here!"  
Jauffre looked at her for a long moment, then marked his place, and set his book aside. He leant back in his chair, hands loose in his lap and studied her.  
"What happened?" he asked. She raked a hand through her hair.  
"We were ambushed. Cultists were waiting on the trail leading up Gnoll Mountain."  
"How do you know it was an ambush, instead of some opportunistic bandit?"  
"Because they shot us with Dremora arrows!" She raked a hand through her hair again. "Besides, I know that road. There's  _ never _ anyone on it. In all the months I've lived there, I have only once met something hostile, and that was an imp. They were waiting for us, Grandmaster. They were waiting for me!"  
"Ah."  
"Don't 'ah' me!" Rin stopped pacing. "What 'ah'?"  
"How is Baurus?"  
Rin swallowed, her shoulders taut. "He's fine now."  
Jauffre raised an eyebrow, inviting her to continue her report.  
"He was struck twice, at the top left of his chest and on his right thigh. Dremora barbed arrows. Once he was in cover, I neutralized the threat – two Mythic Dawn archers – and then proceeded to heal him, and made him drink a curative in case of poison." Rin sucked in a breath. "But it's not just about Baurus."  
"Oh? Do elaborate."  
"I have homes and bolt-holes all over Cyrodiil, Grandmaster. What if there are Mythic Dawn agents loitering at each? What if they attack someone, thinking them to be me? I have a maid! What if they attack her? I need to be out there, putting a stop to this."

The Grandmaster nodded thoughtfully, as though agreeing. The next moment Rin blinked, her hand raised in defence to block his swing. She hadn't even seen the Grandmaster move, but she stood, staring stupidly into his eyes, his katana resting lightly against her mailed forearm.  
"Your reaction times are slow," Jauffre said, lowering his blade. "You should have been able to counter that with a spell or your own blade. You are still exhausted, Rhiannon, and I cannot in good conscience send you out in this condition. You are not being coddled by staying here. You are being brought back to fighting fitness." He sheathed his katana. "You will do no one any good if you are so slow-witted you cannot avoid an enemy blade, cannot notice a trap. I will not have you dying in some ruin because I sent you out before you were rested. That is the end of it."  
"But Grandmaster-"  
"That is the end of it," Jauffre repeated, a hard edge creeping into his usual mild tone.  
Rin tensed her jaw, then bowed.  
"Yes, Grandmaster," she said and left.


	9. Chapter 9

The hero was still fuming when she entered the great hall again. Only the Blade eating his lunch remained, looking up at the slam of the door. Rin collected her pack with a deep sigh.   
"My apologies, Fortis," she said. "I didn't mean to snap at you like I did."  
The imperial nodded in understanding. "That's okay marm," he said. "I overheard Baurus telling His Majesty what happened. I can see why you'd be angry."  
She gave him a small smile. "Thank you." Rin looked down at her pack. "Listen. I know the Grandmaster said I wasn't to do anything that could be considered work, but I'd feel happier if I did a quick sweep of the area-"  
"Oh, no. I don't think that's wise marm..."   
Rin huffed out. "Fine. Forget I said anything. I'm going hunting. Maybe I can find us a deer for Sundas."  
"Marm." Fortis stood, holding out a hand. "No. If you're that concerned, I'll take Pelagius and we'll do a sweep. The Grandmaster was quite clear." He paused, looking at her shoulder. "Plus, you appear to still be bleeding."  
"I-" Rin gingerly touched the damp red patch on her armour. "Oh. Damn." She took a step backwards, blue light sweeping over her from her upraised hand. "There, all better." Rin tilted her head at Fortis, her eyebrows raised in expectation.   
The Blade gave her an amused smile. "It's good to see you're no longer injured marm, but you're still not going anywhere. I will take my fellow Blade and do the sweep for you."  
Rin looked down, considering the tabletop for a moment before closing her eyes with a defeated sigh.   
"Alright," she said, "but you should take some help." 

She flipped open her pack and drew out a battered chest, placing it on the table. From within the chest, she carefully selected a handful of vials, which she passed over. "Here. The yellow ones are potions of Detect Life, the light blue ones are healing potions, and the light green ones are Night Eye. Some of the Cultists like to use invisibility or chameleon spells right before they stab you in the back."  
Fortis nodded and tucked the vials away in a belt pouch. "Thank you for the advice, marm," he said with a grin. "I believe that Pelagius and I can handle it."  
"I know. I just-" Rin looked down, clutching the lid of the chest.  
"Wish it were you?" Fortis asked softly. When Rin looked up she found him giving her a knowing smile. "Now you know how we all feel marm, when you walk out on another mission from the Emperor. Not to besmirch your abilities, but some of us wish this had been placed in the hands of someone here. Someone who has been trained since birth to serve the Ruby Throne." Fortis paused, and placed a brotherly hand on Rin's shoulder. "This life has already been cruel to you, so I hear. It's unfair to expect more of you like this. I know that everyone must roll with the hand they are dealt, but every Blade here would gladly swap destinies with you if they were able. Running a sweep of the surroundings is the least I can do."  
Rin stared at him, stunned. "Every Blade?" she whispered.  
Fortis gave a slow nod. "Every Blade."  
"Fortis, I-" Rin bit her lip. "Thank you."  
The Blade grinned and patted her on the shoulder. "Anytime little Sister."  
Rin shot him a tight smile. "Alright. But if you're not back in two hours, I am coming to find you."  
Fortis ginned larger, clasping a fist to his breast. "Wouldn't have it any other way marm," he said, turning on his heel and marching smartly out.  
Rin watched him go and sighed. Since her alchemy kit was already out, she may as well replace those potions she'd just given away.   
The great hall was empty for once, so the Hero pulled off her armour and, after wiping away the residual blood, slipped on her favourite blue dress. Once the armour was tucked neatly aside, she laid out her equipment and set about replenishing her stocks.

~*~*~

The last few sand grains were slipping through the hourglass as Fortis and Pelagius came sauntering back into the great hall. They both stopped as Rin stood to greet them.  
"Are you both alright?" she asked. "Did you run into any trouble?"  
"We're fine marm," Fortis told her. "And all was quiet. Thank you for the potions, we didn't use the Night Eye..." He moved to pull them from his belt pouch, but Rin waved him off.  
"Keep them. You may need them later. In fact, I made extra Detect Life potions for everyone.  
Pelagius looked at the hourglass. "Were you timing us marm?" he asked.  
Rin took a breath, sharply lowering her eyes. "Aye..."   
Pelagius looked from Rin to Fortis and waggled his eyebrows. "No wonder he was so concerned with being punctual," the auburn imperial said, grinning.  
"She said she would come after us if we didn't check in on time," Fortis said, sounding defensive. "And you know our Lady hero would."  
Pelagius looked Rin, his eyes flicking down and up. "Aye, she would and all. Even dressed to the nines in that."   
"What?" Rin said.  
"The dress, marm. I don't think I've ever seen you in anything but your armour. Is there a party we don't know about?"  
"Oh. Ah." Colour rose to Rin's cheeks. "No. It's just easier for performing alchemy. And my usual robes are at the University." She ran her hands over the blue silk, smoothing and fussing. "This isn't anything special. I wear it all the time in the tower."  
Fortis and Pelagius shared a look.   
"We should get on with our duties," Fortis said, neatly interrupting whatever Pelagius was about to say. The Blade grabbed his Brother by the arm and dragged him outside.


End file.
